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A Prayer for Help

140 O Lord, take me away from sinful men. Keep me safe from men who want to hurt others. They make sinful plans in their hearts. They always start wars. They make their tongues sharp like a snake’s. And the poison of a snake is under their lips.

O Lord, keep me from the hands of the sinful. Keep me safe from men who want to hurt others and have planned to trip my feet. The proud have hidden a trap for me. With ropes they have spread a net. They have set traps for me beside the road. I said to the Lord, “You are my God. Listen to the voice of my prayers, O Lord. O God the Lord, the strength that saves me, You have covered my head in the day of battle. O Lord, do not give the sinful what they want. Do not let their plans work, or they will be honored.

“As for those who gather around me, may the wrong-doing of their lips come upon their heads. 10 May burning coals fall upon them. May they be thrown into the fire, into deep holes, and rise no more. 11 Do not let the man whose talking hurts people stand in the land. May trouble hurry to catch and destroy the man who wants to hurt others.”

12 I know that the Lord will stand by those who suffer and do what is right for the poor. 13 For sure those who are right and good will give thanks to Your name. Those who are right will live with You.

An Evening Prayer

141 I call upon You, O Lord. Hurry to me! Hear my voice when I call to You! May my prayer be like special perfume before You. May the lifting up of my hands be like the evening gift given on the altar in worship. O Lord, put a watch over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart turn to any sinful thing, to do wrong with men who sin. And do not let me eat their fine food.

Let those who are right with God punish me and speak strong words to me in kindness. It is oil upon my head. Do not let my head turn away from it. Yet my prayer is always against the sinful works of those who sin. When their rulers are thrown down from high rocks, they will hear my words, for they are true. Our bones have been spread around the mouth of the grave like the broken ground behind the plow.

For my eyes are toward You, O God the Lord. In You I have a safe place. Do not leave me without help. Keep me from the trap they have set for me. Keep me from the nets of those who do wrong. 10 Let the sinful fall into their own nets, while I pass by and am safe.

A Prayer for Help

142 I cry with a loud voice to the Lord. I pray with my voice to the Lord. I talk and complain to Him. I tell Him all my trouble. When my spirit had grown weak within me, You knew my path. They have hidden a trap for me in the way where I walk. Look to the right and see. For there is no one who thinks about me. There is no place for me to go to be safe. No one cares about my soul.

I cried out to You, O Lord. I said, “You are my safe place, my share in the land of the living. Listen to my cry, for I am brought down. Save me from those who make it hard for me. For they are too strong for me. Bring my soul out of prison, so that I may give thanks to Your name. Those who are right and good will gather around me. For You will give much to me.”